A state in Australian has put forward a new law which would require Muslim women to remove their burkas to prove their identity to the police. The new law was introduced in Western Australia following public outcry over a case of burka-wearing woman Carnita Matthews, who had a conviction of knowingly making a false statement quashed. Matthews received a six-month jail sentence after she was found guilty of falsely accusing a senior constable of forcibly trying to remove her burka when she was pulled over while driving in June 2010. However, she was later acquitted on appeal after the prosecution could not prove she was the woman who signed the statement while wearing the burka.
The bill will require "a person remove headwear or do other things to facilitate the officer being able to confirm a person's identity". In addition, officers will also get explicit powers to detain a person while they comply.